Okay, so this is my second Harvest Moon fanfiction. Yay! Anyway, flames, reviews, and constructive criticism are all welcome. By the way, sorry if Skye may seem a little out of character.

On with the story!

Prologue

Jill's POV

I was just a baby back then. So innocent, so small and nice. I had barely started to take my first breaths of air, had barely taken my first look at the world. I hadn't done anything to deserve this. I had just begun my life, and was already cursed. That Witch Princess cursed me because of some argument my mother had with her. What the argument was about, I didn't know. Who my mother is... I don't know. But was it really so great of a fight that the Witch Princess would curse an innocent baby?

I know about a little of my past now. The Witch Princess had come to me today and told me about the curse she had put on me. I had begged her to dispel the curse, but she wouldn't. Apparently she was still mad at my mother. How she was still mad, I had no idea. I was still crying at the moment, amazingly. I thought I would have run out of tears by now. I was starting to wonder if unlimited tears were a part of the curse too. Just another thing that could add to my misery.

A small tap on the window echoed in my small house. I unwillingly glanced up from my tear-stained pillow, immediately knowing whom it was. And it was the last person I wanted to see right now. I dragged myself to my feet, opening the window. Cold night air blasted me in the face, sending chills down the length of me.

"Hehe. Good evening, Jill." A smooth voice sauntered through the night. I turned, my amethyst eyes locking with sea green ones. His pale face and soft features were dazzling in the moonlight, and his eyes sparkled in a mysterious way. His smile was radiant; he was quite a sight. He studied my face for a moment, worry filling his face. "What is the matter? Are you okay? Jill..." He gently wiped away a tear that started to fall from my eyes. I felt stupid for showing him my tear-stained face. I could be too easily manipulated...

"I'm fine, Skye." I looked away from him.

"Clearly you are not. May I come in?" He asked.

I closed the window and walked over to the door, opening it. Skye stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"Now, what is wrong?" He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. His hand was so warm...

That's when I lost my self-control. I hugged Skye, burying my face in his chest, starting to sob. He seemed a little surprised at my sudden breakdown, but started rubbing my back lightly, humming a small tune. A very soothing tune. My sobs turned into little hiccups after a few minutes. I glanced up at Skye. Bad idea. Our eyes connected. He leaned in closer to me. I so desperately wanted to kiss him. His soft lips seemed very inviting. But then I remembered the curse. I pushed him away from me, walking away to sit on my bed.

Skye sighed, walking over to sit next to me. "Jill, what is the matter?"

I looked over at him. "Sorry about your shirt." I muttered, noticing his black shirt was now wet with tears. "And..." I paused, looking down at the floor. "Sorry about... pushing you away. I want to kiss you, I really do. But... I can't."

Skye said nothing. Apparently he wanted me to explain.

"I was cursed... when I was a baby. The Witch Princess was the one who put the curse on me, because of some fight she had with my mother many years ago. But the curse... I guess you could say the curse gave me poison lips. If any guy kisses me, they die of a sickness the very next day." I felt tears come to my eyes again. "So you see, I really do like you. I just don't want to see you die."

"Jill..." Skye put an arm around me, leaning his head against mine. "I'm so sorry. I never knew that I was putting you through so much." We sat in silence for a while. "So this Witch Princess was the one who did this to you." I nodded. "Hm." He seemed to think about something for quite a while. I felt my eyelids grow heavier by the second.

Skye looked down at me and smiled. "You need rest." He murmured, gently standing up and laying me on my bed.

"Don't leave," I said distantly.

"I won't. I'll stay here until you fall asleep, okay?" I nodded, closing my eyes. I heard him grab the wooden chair in the corner of the room and set it next to my bed.

If I didn't have a curse, I would have a pretty good life. But until I find some way to get the Witch Princess to dispel it, I would live each day in misery. At least it wasn't all bad, with Skye around...

Skye's POV

I watched Jill as she slept peacefully. A few strands of her beautiful brown hair fell delicately over her closed eyes, and her expression was tranquil and cute. She was like an angel; there wasn't any doubt about that. I felt honored to have met her. I knew I did not deserve her heart, for I am a mere thief. But that's what I like about her. She does not judge people by what they do for a living. She accepts everyone with open arms and a warm smile. Such a caring nature should not have to be punished with a curse. She has nothing to repent for, and yet she has to deal with this horrid curse.

Then something came to me. The Witch Princess. I've known her for quite a while. Surely if Jill couldn't convince her to dispel the curse, I could. I stood up and walked to the door. If I could get the Witch Princess to take the curse off, Jill wouldn't have to be in so much pain anymore. I glanced back at Jill's angelic face before quietly opening the door and tiptoeing out into the night.

I knew exactly where the Witch Princess lived, so it took barely any time at all to find her. I stood looking at the gold mansion for a moment, dumbstruck. So many treasures awaited me in there. But thievery would have to wait until another day. I walked over to the small shed next to it, knocking on the door.

"What? Who is it? I'm very busy." A harsh feminine voice barked from inside.

"It is Skye. May I come in?"

"Hmph. Whoever heard of a thief that asks to come in? Whatever, just get inside."

"Even though I am a thief, I'm a gentleman as well." I stepped into the shed, glancing around. The place was pretty much the same way it was the last time I came here. Cobwebs clung to every corner of the room. A large bookshelf that took up the whole northern wall was filled with many complicated books and diagrams of something. An enormous black cauldron was in the middle of the room, some strange purple gas emanating from it. The Witch Princess was standing in front of it, stirring with a massive wooden spoon. I was starting to wonder what was in there. The more I thought about what it could be, the less I wanted to know, and the more I wanted to throw up.

"Well, you've got me there. You know your manners." She murmured, not looking away from her work. "So why are you here?"

"I have come to ask something. The curse you put on Jill when she was born… I demand you get rid of it."

"Oh yeah? And why should I?" She turned to me, a twinkle of suspicion in her eyes. "Oh, I get it. You like her, huh?"

"I won't hide my feelings. Yes, I do." I confirmed. The Witch Princess shook her head.

"Young minds, always so clouded by emotions. It's a shame. Still, I won't take it off her."

"And why ever not?" I asked, irritated.

"Maybe I'll tell you later." She grumbled, turning back to her work. She didn't pick the spoon back up, though. She seemed to ponder something for a while. I waited patiently for her to say something. "Fine. Since you seem so desperate, I'll get rid of the curse." I smiled. "But," she continued, turning to me again. My smile faded. Wonderful. She wanted something in return. "Jill has to prove she is worthy enough to be forgiven. I need a few things for my next potion. They are all here in this town, and all she has to do is find them. If they belong to someone, she needs to steal them. I will give her clues to where they are. She cannot be caught by anyone when trying to get the items, and you can't help her get them. You can help decipher the clue, but that's it. If she brings all the items to me, I will dispel the curse. But," She grinned maliciously. "If she fails, not only will she have the curse on her forever, but she will watch you die." I blinked. What? "That's right," The Witch Princess smiled evilly. "If she fails, I will kill you. Now, do we have a deal?"

I didn't hesitate for a second. "I agree to the terms."

"What? Really?" The Witch Princess murmured, amazed. She scoffed and turned back to her cauldron, picking up the spoon. "Hm. You'll put your own life on the line just so she can be free. I'll never understand you humans with your emotions."

I walked back outside into the cold night air. I couldn't wait to see how Jill would react. She had a chance to get rid of the curse. Surely she would be ecstatic. With a small smile, I walked through the night, anticipating the morning. Tomorrow, the trial would begin.

Hm, a pretty interesting predicament. I wonder how this'll turn out?